


Who He Is

by TheGayWhoDoesLikeMusicals



Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-06
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 15:13:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29886462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGayWhoDoesLikeMusicals/pseuds/TheGayWhoDoesLikeMusicals
Relationships: Katniss Everdeen/Peeta Mellark
Kudos: 4





	Who He Is

“Terra? Terra? Where are you? We’re going to be late. You don’t want the peacekeepers on us do you?”

Jayme sighed and unwrapped the bandages from around his chest. He allowed one tear to fall before he pulled on the reaping day outfit chosen by his mother, a pathetic attempt at luxury in the form of a blue dress that accentuated all the features he wanted to hide. He stared in the cracked dusty mirror in the only private part of their house. The pitiful thing consisted of two rooms and an outside lavatory, it barely constituted as a house but here in the seam its the most they could expect. He looked at his long hair, the way it fell like a waterfall, no, an inconvenience. The curves that the girls in his class envied, but that he despised. He was pretty, he supposed, but not in the way he wanted.

“Terra, you have ten seconds to get out here or we’ll leave without you”

Jayme left the room to find his mother standing fully dressed in a ridiculous getup that screamed ‘poor woman who thinks shes still rich’. ‘Rich’ was out the window when her husband, Jayme’s father, ran off with that merchant girl, leaving his mother with nothing but her shallow personality and two starving children. Today, she wore an old purple gown. It had surely once been magnificent, but now it was ragged and though she had tried her best, no attempt could truly shake out all the dust caked on the thing.

Beside his mother, a pale little girl with soft light hair and huge dark brown eyes stood. Leilani, Jayme’s sister. She ran to him when she saw him and he scooped her up in his arms. He never could resist smiling when Leily was around. She had the kind of smile that slowly took over you and before you knew it your eyes lit up and your mouth stretched to match hers. Leily reached out to grab the collar of his dress.

“You look pretty Terri”

Jayme gave a weary smile.

“Not as pretty as you. You look like a princess”

Leilani loved the pictures of the pretty princesses in the old story books they had, a small relic to the time with their father. She would curl into Jayme’s chest and stare at their dresses as Jayme dramatically read the stories. They both knew them by heart by now, but that didn’t matter, they would still open the books and browse the pages and dream of a life like that, with castles and horses and plenty of food to go around. The difference however, was Leily wanted to marry a prince,and Jayme wanted to be a prince.

Leily smiled now at this compliment. She giggled as she swung down from Jayme’s arms and curtsied. Their mother tutted impatiently.

“Come on, out the door, both of you”

Jayme grabbed Leilani s hand, gave it a reassuring squeeze and started towards the town square.

“Hold on” their mother held out a hand to stop them “I need the lavatory” she quickly scurried back towards the house.

Suddenly, Leilani started shaking by Jayme’s side.

“You cold Leily?”

Leily shook her head

“No I- What if they call out your name?”

Jayme froze. Being 16 and taking out tessarae for himself, Leily and his mother, his name was in the bowl 20 times. Leilani, being only 7, wasn’t eligible for the games yet, but there was a chance Jayme would be called. Despite this thought, he composed himself and smiled, squeezing Leilani’s hand.

“I wont get called, I promise” He put on a silly Capitol accent “The odds are ever in my favour”

Leilani laughed and then their mother emerged and they made their way to the square.

***

The citizens of district 12 flooded the streets, all on the way to the square for the reaping. All waiting to hear the what two children would be sent to the slaughterhouse this year. Jayme quickly hugged Leilani and then signed in and went to stand with the 16 year olds. He sighed as he walked past the partition for the boys and went to join the ‘other’ girls. The air here was nothing like when the girls stood together in school. There, it was all giggling and gossip. Here, there was girls crying, their friends comforting them while trying to hold back tears themselves. One girl in particular stood out to him. Her face was bright red and her eyes were puffy and swollen. When she spoke her words came out in bursts through her sobs.

“What if Carsin is chosen? He’s only 12 he’ll not make it through one night in the arena”

Jayme knew this girl. Too well. Kellani Madden, the girl who saved his life.

Effie Trinket cleared her throat on stage and everyone fell silent. Kellani stifled her sobs with her sleeve. Effie was escort for the district 12 tributes, and she would read out the names of the two poor kids that were reaped.

“Hello everyone and welcome to the 76th Hunger Games! Now, time to see what lucky boy and girl will get to represent their district in the highest honour in Panem, the Hunger Games!”

“Ladies first” She stuck her long nailed hand in the bowl, rustled around and produced a slip of paper.

The whole square collectively held their breathes as she read

“Melnie Caddel”

Every head in the square turned to Melnie, a 16 year old with almost black hair and dark eyes. She gritted her teeth and made her way to the small stage in front of the justice building. She stood beside Effie, her stony expression concealing what Jayme was sure was a cacophony of emotions inside her.

“And now for the boys” The acrylic claws dug around in the other bowl and pulled out another slip “Carsin Madden”

A strangled cry came from behind Jayme. Kellani was standing, shell shocked, the only sign that she was still functioning was the sound coming from her throat, pure raw emotions coming out in a half scream, half whisper “CARSIN-”

Jayme made the decision in a split second. He looked at Kellani, at the little boy slowly walking towards the stage. He scanned the crowd and found his mother and Leilani. He thought of all he could lose if he revealed this, it would risk not only his life but his relationships. Everything would be on the line. But the devastation and fear from Kellani was enough. He pushed forward through the crowd.

“I volunteer as tribute”


End file.
